Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pipe cover adapted for covering pipes under a sink and a fastener for securing the pipe cover around the pipe.
Description of Related Art
In recent years, the need and desirability of providing protective covers for pipe fixtures in plumbing installations has become well recognized. Such covers not only provide insulation to the piping, but, in public facilities protect unambulatory individuals and, particularly, wheelchair bound individuals, from contact with hot, sharp or otherwise hazardous piping when utilizing a sink with exposed piping underneath. When a wheelchair bound individual attempts to move a wheelchair close to a sink, that individual suffers the risk of being sufficiently close to the piping under the sink that his or her knees or lower legs can come into contact with the piping. Such contact can result in cuts, scrapes, burns, and other injuries. For this reason, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) requires that “[w]ater supply and drain pipes under lavatories and sinks shall be insulated or otherwise configured to protect against contact. There shall be no sharp or abrasive surfaces under lavatories and sinks.” (ADAAG § 4.19.4).
There are several U.S. patents which disclose protective covers for under-sink piping including U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,100,663 and 6,739,353.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,663, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein, is directed to a unitary pipe cover assembly for disposition about a pipe configuration under a sink. The unitary pipe cover is sized and shaped to cover the P-trap and the waste arm of the under-sink pipe configuration. The cover assembly can be configured to cover the under-sink pipe configuration when the waste arm extends at an acute angle with respect to the J-trap. The pipe cover includes a longitudinal slit by which the pipe cover can be spread open and placed around the pipes. The pipe cover is then connected around the pipe using two-headed locking pins placed through apertures in the pipe cover on opposing sides of the slit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,353, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein, is directed to a multi-section protective cover system for water pipes that includes a plurality of jackets capable of being disposed about the pipes under a conventional sink. The jackets include longitudinal slits so that they may be fitted onto the pipes with a locking system provided to fasten the jackets about the pipes. The locking system may be a Velcro-type system that is placed on opposing sides of inwardly facing flanges on both sides of the slit, may be a two-headed locking pin placed through apertures in the pipe cover on opposing sides of the slit, or may be a cable tie placed through apertures in the pipe cover on opposing sides of the slit. The jackets may also include ribs or protrusions extending between the interior surfaces of the jackets and the pipes in order to provide an insulative space between the jackets and the pipes.